


hey, ghostly summertime

by 7pt



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Denial, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, High School, M/M, No Spoilers, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Pre-Canon, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Social Media, this is so cliche but no one's stopping me so !!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-02
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2019-01-28 11:25:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12605556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/7pt/pseuds/7pt
Summary: 'Hey, I’m so sorry. I can’t date you…''You… can’t? May I ask why?' The girl bit her lip, disheartened by the rejection. She stared up at Prompto, hoping for an explanation.'Because… Because… Um… I–''He’s dating me,' Noctis said.





	1. Chapter 1

‘U– Um… You probably don’t know me very well, but I’ve liked you for a really long time and…’ the girl twirled her auburn hair nervously. ‘I want to be your girlfriend!’

Prompto was at a loss for words. The girl was cute, sure, but it was the first time he had ever been confessed to, and Prompto almost felt… Overwhelmed. It was a strange feeling since he would’ve jumped at the chance to go out with a cute girl before. But now, he wasn’t so sure. Prompto would’ve stood there gaping at the poor girl if it hadn’t been for Noctis, nudging him from the left. He gave Prompto a pointed look.

He closed his mouth.

_Oh gods. How do I reject her without hurting her?_

'Uh,' Prompto said intelligently. He rubbed the back of his neck. 'Hey, I’m so sorry. I can’t date you…'

'You… can’t? May I ask why?' The girl bit her lip, disheartened by the rejection. She stared up at Prompto, hoping for an explanation.

Prompto blinked, taken aback by her response. Dammit. I should have said that differently.

'Because… Because… Um… I–'

'He’s dating me,' Noctis said

_What?_

'We’ve been together for, um, almost two weeks already,' Noctis continued, casting a quick glance at Prompto, ignoring his panicked glare. 'Sorry about that.'

_WHAT?_

'Oh… I see. Um. I’m sorry for intruding. I’m sorry. I’ll uh, see you guys around, I g–guess.' She turned and ran, her heels echoing hollowly on the tiles of the hallway. Prompto felt bad for her, even if it _was_ his fault. A bell shrilled, signalling the end of classes for the day.

'Hey, Noct? What the fuck? ' Prompto was frowning, face flustered. Noctis looked away sheepishly and shrugged.

'I don’t know either, okay?. It looked like you needed some help there, so…'

‘I hope she doesn’t tell half the school about it, otherwise we’re both screwed. Ahh!’

‘Well, fuck.’

'Nevermind. We can talk ‘bout it tomorrow. Gotta get home real quick.’ Prompto picked up his bag, loaded with folders stacked full of catch-up homework. ‘I need to finish all this by tomorrow or _I’ll_ be finished,’ he grimaced, drawing an imaginary line across his neck dramatically.

'Yeah, Iggy told me this morning that he’s got a shit ton of reports for me, too,’ Noctis grumbled. ‘I hope he baked more sweets to make up for this.’

‘I keep telling you to ban homework!’ Prompto slapped Noctis’s shoulder, grinning. ‘See ya, Noct! We can play King’s Knight later!’

And with the promise of video games, the boys waved goodbye and went their separate ways, the confession incident at the back of the minds.

 

◇◇◇

 

News of Prompto and Noctis’s new “relationship” spread rapidly overnight, and the classroom filled with whispers as soon as they entered, nosy students unable to resist the lure of fresh gossip and rumours.

_‘Hey, did you hear? Princey and Argentum are dating!’_

_‘They’re dating? Are you kidding? That’s gotta be fake.’_

_‘Huh. I thought Noctis was going out with some girl from another school. Her name’s like, Lucina or something like that.’_

_‘No, no, no. I heard that a girl in the next class was rejected by Argentum because he was dating Prince Noctis!’_

_‘The short one with the red hair?’_

_‘Yeah, Everyone was talking about it this morning!’_

_‘No fucking way.’_

_‘What even happened? I’m so confused, you guys.’’_

_‘Wait, I’ll explain after class…’_

_‘Shh!! They can hear us!’_

Thankfully, the class grew silence after the professor entered, save for a handful of curious stares. Prompto groaned, face down on his desk. He had expected the girl to only break the news to her friends, but from what he could tell, the whole school seemed to be talking about them. _Ugh…  I’m so screwed. No wonder the seniors were staring at us. Damn…  What if this reaches the palace? Ah…_

‘ARGENTUM! Answer this! What metal was used in the construction of the conduits in the Old Wall?’

Prompto jerked his head up, startled and disoriented. _Crap, what was the question again? I was distracted. Something about construction? Old Wall? His mind was racing._

‘Uh. Um. The Old Wall. It was built… 2000 years ago? Yeah, that’s it!’

The professor slammed the table, the deafening bang resonating across the classroom. A timid girl in the front row let out a small shriek.

‘Wrong! Absolutely wrong! Listen to me, Mr. Argentum, if you don’t pay attention in class, I’ll _make_ you pay attention during after-school detention. Understand, young man?’

A couple of classmates snickered.

‘Got it, sir,’ Prompto muttered, embarrassed by the ordeal. To Prompto’s relief, the rest of his classes passed without incident. As the final bell rang, Noctis grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the school rooftop without a word. Noctis shut the door, locking it with a simple sliding bolt.

‘Prom, we gotta talk about that thing.’

‘Yeah,’ Prompto agreed. They both knew what they were going to discuss. He dropped his bag next to his feet and sat down against a wall.

Noctis ran a hand through his dark hair and took a seat next to Prompto. ‘Sorry, I dragged you into this mess in the first place.’

Straight to the point. ‘Everybody knows about it. How are we gonna stop this rumour?

They’ll never stop talking about it if we don’t deal with it somehow,’ hummed Noctis.

‘So, um. Does that mean we have to pretend to be dating? What can we even do?’

‘Gods, pretending to be going out is awkward as fuck.’

‘We could just tell them we broke up, right?’ Prompto suggested, leaning his head against the brick wall.

‘I told her we’ve only been dating for like, two weeks. Plus, we haven’t acted like a couple in front of our classmates. At all.’ A sigh. ‘And it’ll look strange if we still hang out together all the time even after we “break up”...’

‘Shit, Noct, you’re right.’ Prompto breathed, exasperated. ‘So that leaves… Our only option–’

‘–a fake relationship.’ Noctis finished. ‘After a bit, we can say we didn’t feel like the relationship would’ve worked out, and everything will be okay.’

‘Sounds like a plan.’ He curled up into a ball. ‘But I just… don’t even know to act in a real relationship, much less pretend to be in one, y’know?’ Prompto’s words were muffled by his arms.

‘C’mon, Prom, I can teach you, if you like. You can practise so you’ll be great at it when you get in a relationship for real.’

‘Really?’ He lifted his head up, still pouting.

‘Yeah. We can start with like, hand-holding. Basic stuff.’

‘Okay,’ Prompto said, and stood up, extending a hand to Noctis.

‘Huh?’

‘Noct! You said you were gonna teach me!’

‘You want to practise right now?’

‘Uh huh!’

Noctis yawned silently and stood up, reaching for Prompto’s outstretched hand. Their palms touched, fingers gently lacing together. Noctis’s hand was warm, and his fingers just slightly longer than Prompto’s. He rubbed his thumb over Noctis’s thumb in a light caress.

_His skin is…  A lot softer than I always imagined it to be. I guess princes gotta moisturise._

_Imagined? No. Of course I don’t imagine holding Noct’s hand…_

_Looks. That’s the word. It’s softer than it looks._

Noctis glanced up from their joined hands.

‘Hey, is this ok?’ His face looked slightly red, though it could’ve been the peachy glow of the setting sun. Noctis squeezed his hand.

‘Uh! Yeah, yeah. It’s, um, cool.’ Prompto stuttered. ‘I guess we’ll have to walk around like this from now on.’

‘Mm-hmm, It’s just at school though, so it won’t be that big of a deal. We don’t need to tell Iggy and Gladio, anyway.'

‘Well! Guess we got that sorted, fake boyfriend!’

‘Aw, Prom… Don’t call me that!’

Prompto laughed, swinging their arms between them.

 

◇◇◇

 

In the distance, the sky was beginning to darken. The pair made their way down, out of the school, to their usual parting place, not noticing that their hands were clasped together the whole time. After they said goodbye, Prompto looked down at his empty left hand, clammy and slightly gross. But it felt cold and almost too empty without the warmth of Noctis’s palm. Prompto sank down to the ground, trying to hide his furious blush in his hands. His heart was racing, for some reason.

Somewhere behind him, a student ducked quietly around a corner, tucking a newly developed photo inside a discreet pocket.

  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto makes impromptu decisions.

_The teen scanned the classroom quickly, making sure the prince and his boyfriend weren’t present. Gingerly, he pulled out two photos, carefully laying them side-by-side on his desk. He waved to some of his friends, beckoning them to come over._

_‘Remember that rumour of Highness dating Prompto Argentum we talked about yesterday? I’ve got some important evidence to show you guys.’_

_Intrigued, a couple of other students joined the small crowd surrounding the teen, peering over shoulders and heads._

_‘So,’ the boy gestured to his photos. ‘I was wondering why I didn’t see Noctis and Prompto when classes ended. So I stayed behind, and followed them out when they finally left school grounds.’_

_A few students nodded, impressed by his boldness and foresight._

_‘As they walked, I noticed they were holding hands.’_

_‘That proves they’re dating for real!’_

_He drummed his fingers against the table. ‘Okay, but I have a theory. I don’t think those two are in a relationship at all.’_

_‘Doesn’t that contradict what you just said?’_

_‘Don’t mess with us, c’mon.’_

_‘No, no. Listen. Look at this.’ he pointed to the photos. The first featured a blurry shot of Noctis and Prompto, hands together, and the second, a red-faced Prompto crouching on the sidewalk. ‘That second photo. Would you really be that embarrassed after merely holding hands with your partner?’_

_‘Well… No.’_

_‘Exactly,’ he responded. ‘He looks more like a lovesick middle schooler with a crush, rather than someone in a relationship. The two of them have been close for a long time, and if they’re really dating, Prompto wouldn’t be behaving in this way.’_

_A girl yawned, casually spinning a pen around her thumb. ‘Why’re you so interested in their love life, anyway? You jealous?’_

_He ignored her remark and continued. ‘I have a feeling they’re trying to cover something up with this relationship. Perhaps Noctis is trying to hide a torrid love affair with a citizen of the Empire, or to create a distraction that diverts attention from a secret government plot.’_

_The crowd murmured, now unsure of the truth._

 

◇◇◇

 

Just on the other side of the classroom door, Prompto choked, tears of mirth rolling down his cheeks. Noctis was shaking. He gripped Prompto’s shoulder with one hand and slapped the other over his own mouth in a desperate attempt to silence his laughter.

‘N–Noct…’ wheezed Prompto. ‘We’ve been… found out… how are we gonna explain the… s–secret government plot?’

‘Can’t forget my girlfriend from Niflheim!’

Prompto snorted loudly. ‘This just made like, my entire week.’

‘Can’t believe we got people stalking us already. And in our own class, no less.’

‘We gotta look more lovey-dovey, y’know. No wonder they’re starting to realise.’

‘Oh, Prom, you’re that eager to hold my hand?’ Noctis teased.

‘No…? It’s just an act!’ he faltered, avoiding Noctis’s eyes as his face heated up with embarrassment.

_ Why would I be eager? I don’t have a crush on him or anything… He’s just doing this to save me from that awkward confession. We’ll “break up” and stop this act soon enough. There aren’t any feelings involved here.  _

Noctis punched him lightly. ‘Don’t look so upset, Prom, I’m just kidding.’ He checked his phone. ‘Hey, we gotta go in soon, class is starting.’ 

Swiftly, Prompto grabbed his bag, and did a quick check of his reflection on his phone.

‘We should hold hands when we enter.’ Noctis breathed.

Prompto took hold of Noctis’s hand and laced them together like before, watching Noctis’s grin from the corner of his eye. He took a deep breath. Together, they pushed open the door, and strolled in, as casually as possible. Immediately, the noisy class fell silent. All of a sudden, a permanent marker was thrust up against his face, as if it was a microphone in an interview. 

‘Are you and His Highness in a relationship? Confirm or deny?’ A classmate interrogated, while the rest of the students watched, engrossed in the bizarre meeting.

‘Um.’ Prompto scratched his head with his free hand. ‘Yeah.’

Noctis nodded.

‘I see…’ the girl hummed, scribbling his words down with her marker. She looked up at the two of them, eyes bright. ‘However, we have obtained information from an  _ exclusive  _ source that, in reality, you two are not  _ actually _ dating. What do you have to say to this?’

Prompto froze, and his mind went blank. He should’ve been prepared for something like this, especially after hearing the gossip from earlier. 

_ By the Six, why are my classmates so nosy? I need to say something. My entire class is watching me. I can feel my heart beating. Is Noct gonna say anything? He looks just as caught off guard as me… Wait. I can just deny it. Whew, no sweat. Just say something like, ‘we’re still awkward since we’re new at this,’ and give them a winning smile. Absolutely simple. I can do it. It’s all good. It’s chill.  _

Prompto pulled his hand free from Noctis, and turned to him fully, wrapping his arms around his neck as he pressed his lips softly against Noctis’s. 

_ Ah. _

Momentarily, he felt Noctis pushing them closer, enveloping Prompto in his warmth. In that moment, Prompto was almost able to block out the uproar in the class. After what seemed like a whole minute, they parted, accidentally exchanging a fond glance, before awkwardly disentangling themselves from each other’s embrace. 

A couple of people in the back row whistled, and there was a smattering of applause throughout the room. The girl coughed, averting her eyes. ‘I think we’ve gotten our answer! I wish you both happiness.’ She bowed and returned to her seat.

For the second day in a row, Prompto found that he was unable to concentrate during class, his thoughts continuously cycling between ‘ _ I kissed him’ _ , ‘ _ why did I kiss him?’ _ , and ‘ _ I want to kiss him again’. _

 

◇◇◇

 

 

> **my life is a mess** @thoctis  49s
> 
> hey guys i just saw pr*nce n*ctis pda’ing like 2 minutes before class idk whether to cry or to jump out the nearest window
> 
> 2 Retweets 4 Likes
> 
> **im gay** @insmnya  35s
> 
> what the fuck is going on
> 
> 1 Like
> 
> **my life is a mess** @thoctis  12s
> 
> i wish i knew
> 
> 2 Likes

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompto ur a mess i love you
> 
> their classmates are absolutely nuts im so sorry noctis and prompto  
> btw (finger guns) the classmates are just nameless npcs not real characters
> 
> i've got most of this fic planned out now i just gotta ....... write it (pained laughter)  
> last chapter before i go into exam hell

**Author's Note:**

> (eyes emoji)


End file.
